Skin cleanser composition



United States Patent SKIN CLEANSER COMPOSITION George E. M0rris, B0ston, Mass.

N0 Drawing. Application April 28, 1954, Serial No. 426,307

7 Claims. (Cl.252161) V t This invention relates to a skin cleanser, and more particularly to a cleanser composition of certain critically blended and/ or superfatted sulfonated oils with an emollient ester solvent outstandingly improved for removal of oil, greases, tars, paints, silicone resins and other grimy residues upon the skin, primarily the hands.

The composition is an improved cleanser for the hands, particularly to remove the grime embedded in the skin pores through continuous industrial activity by workmen in such fields where difiicultly removable materials such as tars, paint, cutting oils, greases, silicone resins, etc., are encountered in the daily manual working. The composition is outstanding in being superior to others to effect the cleaning without irritating the skin Such gentle but effective skin cleaning is in contrast to conventional skin cleaners which often develop undersirable skin eruptions and various dermatoses, usually significant of allergy to cleanser components which have been used in prior art compositions to effect removal of these ma: terials from the hands of workmen. It isin this sense that while being a superior skin cleanser, the composition hereof is further improved because" it is non-toxic and non-irritating.

The composition is entirely composed of esters free of metal salts, such as soaps. -It is substantially neutral and is even desirably slightly acidic, the pH ranging from about 4.5 to 6.0, preferably between about 4.5 and 5.0. The major component of the present composition is a critical blend of sulfonated fatty oils, and the minor component is one or more simple esters of higher fatty acids, such as the lower alkyl esters of fatty acids having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms, the fatty acid being either fully saturated or un-saturated to such limited degree that the fatty acid is non-drying.

The major component, sulfonated oil, is a critical blend of three sulfonation products each critically present in admixture with the others. 7

The terms sulfonation or sulfation refer respectively to types of mineral sulfuric acid esters with the oily organic residues. The former, sulfonation, usually indicates a directly bonded radical, sulfonic acid, with the hydro-carbon residue to form a sulfonateester; and the latter, sulfation indicates a direct bond with an alcohol residue to form a sulfate ester. Sometimes both are present when either type of residue is treated to form the ester. Accordingly, as used herein, the term sulfonation is intended to identify the common commercial esterification which may be either or both sulfonation or sulfation products, as commercially available for these substances.

The first, or major sulfonation component is a sulfonation product of a non-drying fatty glyceride oil of animal or vegetable origin such as commercial fixed glycerides, insufficiently unsaturated to be drying. Included within this group are the glyceride esters of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids ranging from about 14 through 26 carbon atoms, and includes the usual animal and vegetable non-drying glyceride fatty oils, typical examples of which are sulfonated neats-foot oil, sulfonated olive oil, sulfonated corn oil, sulfonated peanut oil, sulfonated cocoanut oil, and sulfonated tallow. This sulfonated oil component acts, particularly in combination with the alkyl ester component, both as an emollient oil and as a skin cleanser to most readily blend with the natural oils which may be present on the skin. Moreover, it is a good oil solvent of ordinary industrial oils encountered in industry. It is non-irritating and nontoxic to the skin, either alone or in the composition hereof. In the present composition, it is used in quantity of from 0.5 to about 1.5 part by weight.

The second type of sulfonation product used herein is a high molecular weight sulfonation product of fatty alcohols, alcohol glyceride esters, or alcohol acids, having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms. Typical examples are sulfonated castor oil, sulfonated ricinoleic acid, sulfonated lanolin and sulfonated relatively pure alcohols from 12 to 26 carbon atoms such as lauryl, cetyl, and commercial mixtures of alcohols in this range usually obtained by reduction of lower alkyl esters of commercial fatty oils such as palm oil or cocoanut oil. The function of this second sulfonated component is to aid in the emulsification, removal by washing with water, of both the unsulfonated, as well as sulfonated solvents used in the blend to extend the range of solubility of the composition and in combination with the other sulfonated oils. Thissecond component is critically used in the range from 0.25 to 1.0 part by weight of the composition. 1

The third component of the sulfonated oils is generally selected from among commercial sulfonation prodnets to be resinous or resin forming, i. e., characterized by being readily oxidized and polymerized. In this group are typical drying oils and semi-drying oil, glycerides,

their free fatty acids and natural resinous acids. Typical sulfonation products of this group are sulfonated linseed oil, sulfonated soyabean oil, sulfonated tall oil and sulfonated unsaturated petroleum hydrocarbon The first component sulfonated oil while having the desirable functions set forth, does not homogeneously blend with the unsulfonated alkyl ester component. It is the primary function of this third component to effect the homogeneous solution of both of these components. Moreover, this third component further aids in emulsification of unsulfonated oils, and increases the specific solvent power for drying oil and resinous, unsaturated and tarry components of impurities on the skin, which this composition can remove in its cleansing action. This third component is usually present in from about 0.1 to about 0.5 part by weight of the composition. 7

These three sulfonated types of components are essentially used in admixture with each other as the major or sulfonated compo-nentof the cleanser composition, and each modifies the effect of the other to improve the cleaning and solvent effect, the homogeneity and ready removalofthe non-sulfonated componentand imparts to the sulfonated oil mixture the widest range of universal solvent power in the combination for" mostof the industrial skin contaminants encountered in industry.

The minor component hereof (referred to herein as minor only in the quantitative sense, since the greater proportion of the composition is the sulfonated oil components) is a lower saturated alkyl ester of a higher fatty acid, preferably saturated, but which may be unsaturated to an extent insufficient/to impart drying characteristics. Thus the fatty acid portion of the ester may range from 12 to 26 carbon atoms, the fatty esters being preferably saturated, but if unsaturated such is usually insufiicient to be substantially drying in character. The alkyl portion of the .ester is derived from an alcohol having one through ix carbon atoms and an lkyl in th s range would be understood herein as a lower alkyl. Typical esters used herein are the lower alkyl esters of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid and arehidie acids. The v ypical alkyl groups used are those derived from the alcohols ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, isoamyl and n-hexyl. Esters of this type .are preferred in my composition because they in themselves have high,

solvent power for industrial hydrocarbons encountered as skin contaminants. They are readily emulsified by the sulfonated oils used in combination therewith. They are inherently emollient, non-toxic and non-irritating in the composition as used. When used, blended with the sulfonatcd oil, the unsulfonated alkyl ester will be a minor component and is critically adjusted in the composition to the range of 0.5 to 1.5 parts by Weight of the, composition.

As thus described, the composition consists of four essential components of which three are snlfonated oils. The following is a general formula .of the composition in its broadest aspect to obtain he outstanding character.- istics of this skin cleanser:

Substances: Parts by weight Sulfonated animal or vegetable non-drying oil 0.5 to 1.5

Sulfonated hydroxylated fatty oil, sulfonated hydroxy fatty acid, or sulfonated higher alcohol 0.25 to 1.0 Sulfonated drying oils and resins 0.1 to 0.5 Lower alkyl esters of fatty acids 0.5 to 1.5

In addition to the broad formulation given, certain minor components such as perfumes, coloring agents, may be added.

The following examples illustrate the practice of this invention:

The following formulations are made up by mixing the commercial oils in the proportions given with moderate heat such as heating to a temperature of about 1.00 F. and stirring.

Example I Parts by weight Sulfonated peanut oil 1.0 Sulfonated sperm oil 0.5

Sulfonated linseed oil 0.25

The pH is about 4.75.

What I claim is:

0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight of Sulfonated non-drying glyceride fatty oil having 14 to 26 carbon atoms, 0.25 to 1.0 part by weight of a sulfonated compound having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of a Sulfonated fatty alcohol, a sulfonated fatty acid having a hydroxy group on the hydrocarbon radical of the fatty acid and a sulfonated fatty acid ester having a hydroxy group on the hydrocarbon radical of the fatty acid, 0.1 to 0.5 part by weight of a Sulfonated drying oil having 12 to 26 carbon atoms, and 0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight of a lower lkyl ester of a non-drying fatty acid having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms.

2. Skin cleanser composition consisting essentially of about 0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight of sulfonated peanut oil, about 0.25 to 0.75 part by weight of Sulfonated sperm oil, about 0.1 to 0.5 part by weight of Sulfonated linseed oil and about 0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight of a lower alkyl ester of a non-drying fatty acid having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms.

3. Skin cleanser composition consisting essentially of about 1.0 part by Weight of Sulfonated peanut oil, about 0.5 part by weight of sulfonated sperm oil, about 0.25 part by weight of Sulfonated linseed oil and about 1.0 part by weight of N-hexyl laurate.

.4. Skin cleanser composition consisting essentially of about 0.5 to 1.5 parts .by weight .of Sulfonated tallow, about 0.25 to 0.75 part by weight of sulfonated lanolin, about 0.1 to 0.5 part by weight of sulfonated soyabean oil and about 0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight of a lower alkyl ester of a non-drying fatty acid having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms.

5. Skin cleanser composition consisting essentially of about 0.75 part by weight of sulfonated tallow, about 0.6 part by weight of snlfonated lanolin, about 0.15 part by weight ofsulfonated soyabean oil and about 1.2 parts by weight of ethyl .oleate.

6. Skin cleanser composition consisting essentially of about 0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight sulfonated neats-foot oil, about 0.25 to 0.75 part by weight of sulfonated castor oil, about 0.1 to 0.5 part by weight of sulfonated tall oil, and about 0.5 to 1.5 parts by weight of a lower alkyl ester of a non-drying fatty acid having from 12 to 26 carbon atoms.

7. Skin cleanser composition consisting essentially of about 1.1 parts by weight of sulfonated neats-foot oil, about 0.6 part by weight of Sulfonated castor oil, about 0.30 part by weight of sulfonated tall oil, and about 0.9 part by Weight .of butyl stearate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,836,430. Baddiley Dec. 15, 1931 1,875,530 Vaupotic Sept. 6, 1932 2,257,106 Christiansen Sept. 30, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES Archives of Dermatology and Syphilology, vol. 41, February, 1940, pages 351, 352. 

1. SKIN CLEANSER COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 0.5 TO 1.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SULFONATED NON-DRYING GLYCERIDE FATTY OIL HAVING 14 TO 26 CARNBON ATOMS, 0.25 TO 1.0 PART BY WEIGHT OF A SULFONATED COMPOUND HAVING FROM 12 TO 26 CARBON ATOMS AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFONATED FATTY ALCOHOL, A SULFONATED FATTY ACID HAVING A HYDROXY GROUP ON THE HYDROCARBON RADICAL OF THE FATTY ACID AND A SULFONATED FATTY ACID ESTER HAVING A HYDROXY GROUP ON THE HYDROCARBON RADICAL OF THE FATTY ACID, 0.1 TO 0.5 PART BY WEIGHT OF A SULFONATED DRYING OIL HAVING 12 TO 26 CARBON ATOMS, AND 0.5 TO 1.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A LOWER ALKYL ESTER OF A NON-DRYING FATTY ACID HAVING FROM 12 TO 26 CARBON ATOMS. 